A/N: I don't own Warriors. Erin Hunter does. I just play with the characters.
" Speech"
Thoughts
' Flashback'
Mapleshade stared at Oakstar in disbelief after the leader had told her that she and her kits would be exiled from ThunderClan. " But... My kits are too young to travel far. " She tried to explain to the dark tom.
" I know that they are young but I will not raise the offspring of the murderer in MY Clan!" Oakstar hissed, sounding furious. He was referring to the father of Mapleshade's litter , Appledusk who had accidentally killed Oakstar's son Birchface during a battle on Sunningrocks.
' Mapleshade slashed at yet another RiverClan warrior, a dark orange she-cat . She yowled in pain when the tortoiseshell's claws ripped her fur. " That's what you get for trying to take our territory!" Mapleshade hissed, continuing to fight. At the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar pale brown tom fighting against a darker brown tabby. Suddenly the dark tabby slipped, falling into the river. " Nooo!" A young she-cat jumped into the water, trying to save her mentor. In the end, both of them had drowned. '
Mapleshade snapped out of her thoughts when her son, Patchkit padded to her, looking at her with wide fearful eyes. " What's going on, mama?" He asked, shaking slightly.
" We are leaving ThunderClan. " She replied, glaring at her former Clanmates.
" Leaving? Where we are going?" He asked, sounding confused.
" Away from here. " Mapleshade told him before fetching Petalkit and Larchkit from the nursery and herding the kits out of the camp.
When they were in the forest, Petalkit stumbled slightly. " Where are we going, mama?" She asked, looking at her mother.
" We are going to meet your father" The queen replied.
" But... our father is from ThunderClan. He was Birchface, right? " Petalkit tried to argue.
" No. Do you remember that nice tom who helped Patchkit? He's your father, Appledusk and he's from RiverClan. " Mapleshade explained.
When they reached the river it had swollen up due to melting water.
" You have to climb on me to cross. Hold on tight " Mapleshade instructed her kits who did as she told.
Oh, StarClan. Let us cross the river safely, Mapleshade prayed before wading into the water.
" Cold!" Mapleshade heard one of the kits screech when the water splashed on them. She tried to swim to the stepping stones but the current was too strong for her. I can't make it. We will all drown.
Suddenly she heard a commotion on the RiverClan side and heard several splashes as if the cats had entered the water. Are they going to chase us away?
One of the cats, a grey tabby, swam next to her. " What are you doing in the river with young kits? Do you want them to drown?" He inquired.
" We were.... exiled by... Oakstar" The tortoiseshell replied, having to stop the reply when the waves nearly crushed her against the rocks.
" Why would Oakstar exile a queen with kits? It's against the Warrior Code" The tom asked, looking shocked.
" I will explain if you help me to the shore. I have to speak with Darkstar" Mapleshade mewed, sounding nearly desperate now.
The tom nodded, helping her to the shore where three warriors waited for them. A pale brown tom with green eyes, a dark orange she-cat, and a pale grey tom.
" Appledusk, Reedshine, Splashfoot. " The darker grey tom addressed each of the warriors.
" Spiketail. And you are...? " The she-cat, Reedshine, asked looking at the tortoiseshell queen and her kits.
" Mapleshade. And the kits are Patchkit, Petalkit, and Larchkit, am I correct?" Appledusk replied, looking at each cat in question.
The queen nodded, shivering.
" What sent you to try to cross the river even though it's flooded?" Splashfoot asked.
" Oakstar ... He... he exiled us after Ravenwing had a vision of three pieces of reed that floated to RiverClan territory. He thought that it means that three cats did not belong in the Clan and that those cats were my kits. " Mapleshade explained.
" That still doesn't explain why you would try to cross the river. " Spiketail mewed sternly.
" It's because my kits are half RiverClan. I came to ask about the possibility to stay in RiverClan. " Mapleshade continued her explanation.
" What?! " Reedshine hissed , having now noticed how one of the kits was the same shade of pale brown as Appledusk.
" Yes, that's true. I'm their father. " The pale tom replied, looking at the kits warmly.
" But... I'm expecting your kits. I thought that we are mates. " The orange she-cat exclaimed.
" Let's get the kits and Mapleshade to the camp. They will get sick if they stay outside any longer. " Spiketail told the patrol firmly, not wanting the situation to get worse.
The patrol headed to RiverClan camp.
StarClan, help us. We won't survive without the help of a Clan. Mapleshade thought .
A/N: What do you think? Should Darkstar accept them right away or not?
YOU ARE READING
New path ( Mapleshade AU)
FanfictionMapleshade's kits survive the journey to RiverClan and grow up in the new Clan. But they face distrust due to their half-Clan heritage. As if that wouldn't be enough, Mapleshade has set her eyes on another tom besides their father.
